ArticleBMC psychology2025
Depressive symptoms and internet use among middle-aged and older adults pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak: a network analysis.
Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Study on the Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China Based on CHARLS 2020 Data.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Anxiety symptoms as the central node: a network analysis of mental health sequelae in a post-COVID-19 national sample.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
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3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the effects of social isolation on the mental health of middle-aged and older adults. This study aimed to explore the network structures of depressive symptoms among Chinese middle-aged and older adults before and after the COVID-19 outbreak and investigate their associations with Internet use.
methodsTwo cross-sectional datasets were obtained from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Depressive symptoms and Internet use were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and self-reported Internet use. Network analysis was conducted to identify central symptoms and differences between the two networks and their associations with Internet use.
resultsNetwork analysis revealed that CESD3 "Felt depressed" was the central symptom of the depression network in both waves. No significant differences in network structure were observed, but significant differences in global strength and edge strength were found. Furthermore, Internet use showed a more complex association with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in wave 2.
conclusionThis study provides novel insights into the central features of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Targeting interventions to central symptoms and strong edges may have significant implications for depression treatment. In addition, strategies aimed at enhancing Internet use guidance could potentially benefit the mental health of middle-aged and older adults.
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